Journals and Posts

If you need help with your family tree, especially considering you may have lost precious information in the ferocious fires that happened recently, please submit journals here and we will try to assist.

Due to the wonders of modern technology today, I was sent an email of a mobile phone photograph, taken in Cornwall, of a cross-stitch sampler made by my grandfather's grandmother. Her name was Isabella Milne BUCHAN and when she was 15 years old in 1853, she created this sampler. Sampler depicted animals at The Great Exhibition at the Crystal Palace in 1851.

As I live in Australia, this is most remarkable that a descendant could have a family treasure like this and eventually get to share it with me in the year 2006. I feel so lucky today. Just thought I'd share it with you.

I also wonder if anyone else has similar samplers in their family trees?

I started researching my family tree when I was just a kid after my grandpa died in the 80s. I began by asking my grandparents who their brothers and sisters were, their parents' names and from whence they came. Then they started giving me their old photos.

Using what information I was starting to obtain as a child, the family tree was written out on pieces of A3 paper stuck together with lots of stickytape. Unfortunately I had a lot of blank spots where names should have been, luckily that is not the case now.

I consider myself quite fortunate indeed to have a photograph of all my eight great grandparents and seven of my 16 great great grandparents. That in itself is quite an achievement. TIP: I notice that it is usually the eldest child in the big families and their descendants that have all the photographs!!!!!

It was only the beginning of 2006 that I computerised everything because I was starting to become slightly overwhelmed by all the information that I had. PAF or Personal Ancestral File is the best software I've come across so far, and free too, available from FamilySearch.

I've found the usual and not so usual in my tree:-

Gold Miners
Coal Miners
Soldiers in the First World War and Second World War
Farmers / Ag Labs
Convicts (illegally swearing oaths, Ireland; and stealing wheat, England)
Lacemakers
One known bigamist..oops (not my relation though...and he went to prison)
Winemakers
Yeomen/Bailiffs of Knights
Military men in the Kings Own 4th Regiment of Foot
Paid mercenary/soldiers for Napoleon
Australian LightHorse
Nannies
Servants
Sugar workers
Bootmakers
Butchers
Laundresses
Charwomen
Brewery Workers
Nuns/Priests
Newspaper men
Lithographic Printers
Electric Light Wire Men